Tlingit & Haida & WCIP

Vice President Micklin is responsible to his government and the 29,000 members of Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska.

In intergovernmental forums such as the United Nations and inter-tribal bodies such as the National Congress of American Indians one’s accountability counts. Those of us, who head non-governmental organizations, sit as academics, or who study international law may comment or suggest. We cannot and do not exercise the political authority and responsibility of a government. Vice President Micklin and other political leaders participated in the deliberations of the UN leading up to the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples. Micklin delivered a great testimony to his leadership and the leadership of other North American Fourth World Nation leaders in his Indian Country Today article “ World Conference Takes Concrete Action to Benefit Indigenous Peoples .”

They had the duty and responsibility to engage the United Nations and individual UN Member states. That duty has deep roots in the foundational culture of each nation.

In his article Micklin writes: “What indigenous leaders did accomplish with the World Conference is to establish that indigenous governments are the most effective advocates of their indigenous citizens, and by their advocacy, succeeded in transforming a rare opportunity into serious commitments by UN member states and into concrete and decisive actions that will be taken by various bodies of the UN.” I agree.  That is an important accomplishment.